Question:
audhu bil-Lahi minashshaytan arrajeem
bismillahirahmaniraheem
wasallaAllahu ‘ala sayyidina wa mawlana Muhammad
Astaghfirullah wa atubu ilayh.
Ya Sayyidi…as-salamu aleykum!
Please forgive me but I have a question!!!!!
Everytime I am with my mother and she hears me whistling she yells at me to stop and tells me it attracts the shayateen. Of course, in obedience and respect to her and in obedience to Prophet who placed obedience to mothers and fathers above all else, I obey her and stop…but is it really true???? Because whistling makes my heart happy and other people tell me I am good at it and it makes them happy too when they hear me whistle….But if whistling is attracting shayateen, is it my heart that is happy or my nafs???!!! Am I attracting shayateen to other people when I whistle around them?? astaghfirullah. Please forgive me but I need to know Sayyidi.
Answer:
wa `alaykum salam,
Bismillahi ‘r-rahmani ‘r-rahim
It is not blameworthy to whistle as long as it is outside the prayer (or any worship like paying Zakah or Hajj, etc) or the masjid. It is known that shepherds used to whistle to entertain themselves or to gather or instruct his flock. If you feel happy and others are also happy and feel joy in their heart, and as long as no one is hurt by your whistling, it is fine. If you are doing it to tease or poke fun at others or to flirt around, then that is blameworthy.
I do not know if your whistling attracts the devils. Generally whistling is not considered a decent behaviour for any morally upright Muslim. May I suggest you sing qasidah in praise of Allah and His Messenger (s) instead? That is much better and more meaningful; at least the devils won’t be attracted but the angels and the unseen saints will come to listen.
At any rate, if you stop doing it following your mother’s wishes, you shall be generously rewarded for obeying her.
Abdul Shakur Hadi
